The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-08-18


times their hands, beat back the flames
when they flashed up alongside some
unfortunate prisoner, who, pinned
down by heavy beam, looked on
helplessly while it seemed as if his
death by fire was certain, and while
the fight was thus going on the ears
of the workers were filled with the
groans Of dying men, the anguished
entreaties of those whose death SEEM
cd certain unless the terrible blaze
could be extinguished, and the cries
of those too badly hurt to care in what
manner the end might be brought
about, SO only it would be quick. So
theg dug up the earth with their
hands, reckless of the blood streaming
out from broken finger nails, and heap
ing it up in little mounds, while all
the while came the heartrending cry,
I" For Gods sake don't let US burn to
death" But finally the victory was
won. the fire was put out after four
hours of endeavor, and as its last
sparks died away, light came up in
the East to take their place, and dawn
came upon a scene of horror. While
the fight had been going on men had
| been going on men had been dying,
and there were not SO many wounded
to take out of the wreck as there had
been four hours before. But in the
meantime the country had been arous
| ed help had come from Cbatsworth,
Forest, and Piper City, and as the
dead were laid reverently alongside of
each other out in the cornfield, there
were ready hands to take them into
ChatsworLh, while some of the wound
ed were carried to Piper City. One
hundred and eighteen was the awful
poll of the dead. while the wounded
number four times that many. The
full tale of the dead, however, cannot
be told yet for days.
Chatsworth was turned into a
morgue today. The tewn hall, the
engine house, the depei, were all full
of dead bodies, while every house in
the little village had its quota of the
wounded There were over one hun
dred corpses lying in the extemporized
dead houses. and every man and wo
man was turned into an amateur nurse.
Over in u lumber yard the noise OF
hammers and saws rang out in tha air,
and in it busy carpenters were making
rough collins to carry 10 their homes
/ nf 10 n isfa
who, twelve hours before, had left
their homes full of pleasurable expec-
tatious of the enjoyment they were
going te have during the vacation
which had begun.
Many heartrending scenes occurred
at the wreck and in the hospitals, as
anxious and bereaved ones CROPPED in
search of friends, or watched the fast
ebbing life in its passage to the silence
of eternity. The correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune relates the following
touchingly sad and mournful Incident:
by all odds the most pitiful scene
at the hospital today was attendant
upon the arrival of Mr.. r. n. Clark
of RoOtstOwn, Portage county, Ohio
He is seeking his wife, child and niece
rhe latter he knew was uniDjured,
having received dispatch from her.
which also hinted that the theirs were
hurt. Mr.. Clark, fine looking, gray
bearded man, was met in the hotel at
Piper City before his arrival at Chats
worth. and there explained to Tri
bune reporter the circumstances under
which he came. His wife, formerly
well known as q teacher in central ii
linois towns, had started some time
ago on q pleasure trip to Colorado.
taking with her their little son, three
years old Mr.. Clark objected to ia
king so small child ON so long jou.
ney; but the presence of the child wa,
meet ssary to the mother, and he was
brought along. The trip did not ex
tend to Colorado. but changed because
of the illness of relations, and Mrs
| Clark started back to visit them. She
was one of the most dangerously in
jured ameng the survivors of the
wreck. When Mr.. Clark reached
Chatsworth and entered the hospital,
the physician in charge cautioned him
that he must manifest no excitement
Dor make any noise, as it would be
injurious to his wife. Mr.. Clark was
led to the cot where his wife was lying.
apparently unconscious. She was
moved from her lethargy at once a.
his face was bent over her, put her
arms around his neck and raised hei
parched lips to his They whispered
u few words together, and then he ask
ed her about the child. She had not
been told anything which could r, as
sure him, and he. arose looking white
in the face. He was led aside aud told
gently that the child was dead. He
stepped to chair, ,muttered something
about 1.-The child of his old age" and
then began moaning in q strange way
that brought tears to the eyes of all
He was buried away by a young wo
man, who told him that she had his
10y, and who led him like child by
the arm through the streets to look al
the little body"
After suffering amputation of both
her limbs, Mrs. Clark died at $50 p.
m. Sunday. Her remains with those
of the little son, were brought by the
grief stricken husband and father to
Rootstown for interment, on Tuesday
1t seems incredible that depravity
could reach the depth of robbing the
dead and dying of money and valua
bles. A large number of rifed pock
etbO0ks which were found in q lot ad-
Joining, disclosed the fact of robbery,
and gave rise to q report that the
bridge had been fred for the purpose
of wrecking the train for plunder. OF
course, it is. pecuniarily, to the inter
est of the officials to advance and es-
tablish the theory of incendiarism,
but the investigation which is now
u